Against the backdrop of withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in the next one year, a senior Afghan parliamentarian on Thursday asserted that the country’s security forces were capable of maintaining peace, even as he invited Indian investors to play a bigger role in the strife-torn country. Talking to reporters, First Deputy Speaker of the Afghan upper house, Meshrano jirga, Alam Ezedyar said, “After 2014, the role of India and the international community is extremely important and we believe that we want India’s continuous support in agriculture, economic and education sectors…we want Indian investors to invest more in Afghanistan to support our private sector.” He said Indian investment would be of great importance to Kabul, adding that after 2014, Afghanistan would be able to “stand on its own feet” and “will be self-sufficient”. “We have a strong army and police force and they are efficient to safeguard the country’s rule of law,” he said. Addressing the delegates, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said India will stand by the government and people of Afghanistan in its crucial period of transition. “A democratic and peaceful Afghanistan is not only in the interest of the Afghan people, but of India, our South Asian region and the world at large,” he said. Kurien said developmental cooperation between the two countries stretched into areas like agriculture, rural development, industry, trade, food and nutrition.
